If you’re looking for a film review of Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, please refer to our sister site In Poor Taste or the Blood and Black Rum Podcast episode on the movie. We’re going to skip over covering this relative dud, a follow-up to Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers that takes place one year after that film as a mute Jamie attempts to avoid her murderous uncle yet again. Overly drawn out and full of unintentionally humorous moments, Halloween 5 is probably one of the worst entries in the series – but it certainly makes for a good time watching with friends trying to determine how drunk Donald Pleasence is in all of the scenes.
4K UHD
Like all the rest of the Halloween Collector’s Edition releases, Scream Factory has given Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers a new 4K scan from the original camera negative. This film hasn’t had a new release since Scream Factory’s own 2012 Blu-ray, and the results are very positive here. A consistent color tone and level of detail makes Halloween 5 feel right at home with the sequels, and overall definition is quite high. Much like Halloween 4, the burn makeup on Loomis’ face is on full display, and clothing and facial features reveal a wealth of textures. Signage and nametags are readily apparent. There is perhaps a thicker grain scale here than the previous releases which can appear a bit chunky in certain scenes, particularly on static colors. Overall, though, another impressive 4K UHD release from Scream Factory and fans of the film will certainly want to upgrade from the now dated Blu-ray.
Audio tracks include the original DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo as well as a DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround track. New to this release, and the version I watched, is a Dolby Atmos 7.1 option. Dialogue is consistently center-driven and the rearranged synth score is on full display from the satellite speakers. Sting moments are noticeably loud including the opening slash sound effects. English subtitles are also included.
Interestingly, Halloween 5 gets the most new extras of any of these 4K UHD releases, including a new alternate opening sequence with Dr. Death that has not been available on any home video release, as well as cut gore effects for an R-rating. A new interview with cinematographer Robert Draper is included that runs about 20 minutes. Also new to this release is a newspaper ad gallery. The rest of the extras are ported from the previous disc, including two different making-of featurettes, a Horror’s Hallowed Grounds episode, two audio commentaries (on both the UHD and Blu-ray discs), theatrical trailer, and more. This is the most robust of the Collector’s Edition releases for extras, making it an even better value for those who are double-dipping.
The package comes with new cover artwork and reversible original artwork, housed in a hardcover shell.
Extra Features
DISC ONE (4K UHD):
- NEW 2021 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
- NEW 2021 Dolby Atmos Track
- Audio Commentary With Actor Don Shanks And Author Justin Beahm
- Audio Commentary With Director Dominique Othenin-Girard And Actors Danielle Harris And Jeffrey Landman
DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):
- NEW 2021 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
- NEW 2021 Dolby Atmos Track
- Audio Commentary With Don Shanks And Justin Beahm
- Audio Commentary With Dominique Othenin-Girard, Danielle Harris, And Jeffrey Landman
- NEW Long-Lost Alternate Opening Sequence Featuring The Appearance Of Dr. Death (HD; 7:37)
- NEW Extra Snippets Of Gore Cut To Obtain An R-Rating (unrestored HD; 0:28)
- NEW “Of Darkness And Shadows – The Cinematography of Halloween 5” – An Interview With Cinematographer Robert Draper (HD; 18:53)
- “Inside Halloween 5” (unrestored HD; 15:11)
- “Dead Man’s Party – The Making Of Halloween 5” – A Two-part Featurette (HD; 44:26)
- “On The Set: Behind-The-Scenes Footage” (unrestored HD; 16:16)
- Horror’s Hallowed Grounds – A Look At The Original Filming Locations (HD; 23:59)
- Halloween 5 Original Promo (unrestored HD; 5:50)
- Theatrical Trailer (unrestored HD; 0:44)
- TV Spots (unrestored HD; 1:12)
- NEW Newspaper Ad Still Gallery By Drive-In Asylum (chapter breaks; 1:48)
- Still Gallery (chapter breaks; 6:16)
Verdict
There may not be a huge amount of fans out there that absolutely love Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, but this Scream Factory release is definitely a huge upgrade from the past Blu-ray, both in terms of video quality and extra features. Out of all the Collector’s Edition releases, this one has the biggest reason to upgrade.
